


This Moment

by Amariahellcat



Series: Arisa Shepard [2]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Awkwardness, Biotic Shepard, Early Relationship, F/M, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Interspecies Relationship(s), Mass Effect 2, Paragon Commander Shepard, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Suicide Mission, Rated to be Safe, Slow Build, no actual smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 09:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11734527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amariahellcat/pseuds/Amariahellcat
Summary: The Omega 4 Relay is two hours away - and Arisa Shepard wants one last, happy moment before she walks into Hell.





	This Moment

**Author's Note:**

> My take on the night before the Omega-4 Relay. No smut - I'm sorry! - but a feelsy moment between our awkward ducks.
> 
> Enjoy. ♥

Her initial offer - to  _blow off steam_  together - had been a shot in the dark, a slip of words before she could catch herself.

Imagine her surprise when he’d seemed caught off guard - but  _interested_.

“ _Let’s wait, though. I want to do some research first. Try to, ah, minimize any potential for… awkwardness.”_

Arisa understood the caution, and agreed without hesitating; it would be a completely new experience, for both of them. Planning ahead would be best.

_It also means things will change. I think. They **have**  to, if you have sex with your best friend, right?_

Sure, if all Garrus was up for was romps between dangerous missions, she’d be okay with that; ‘friends with benefits’ was something she could handle, if that’s what he wanted.

But if she were being honest to herself, Arisa wanted more than sex.

Garrus had been at her side through thick and thin. He’d saved her hide on more than one occasion, and she’d returned the favor.

He’d survived a goddamn  _rocket to the face_  and been up and ready within 24 hours, at her beck and call as he had been since they’d met.

‘Friendship’ no longer described what she felt for the Turian. She didn’t know  _what_  to call it.

All she knew was that, given the chance, she would keep him for herself; try to make up for the two years she’d spent comatose and being rebuilt, to be someone  _he_  would want to keep.

If they made it out of this alive - somehow managed to take out the Collectors and return - the subject would be the  _first_ on her list to discuss.

_Maybe. If he even shows up._

Two hours left until what they’d all deemed the Suicide Mission, and no sign of Garrus.

She’d thought about paging him, maybe, but decided against it. If he’d changed his mind - decided he didn’t want her like that - she would not make things any more awkward by calling him out over the PA.

She’s pleasantly surprised when, having decided to shower in an attempt to relax a  _little_ , she steps back out into her cabin proper and is greeted by the man himself

Garrus is babbling the second she’s in sight, holding up the wine he brought, crossing to fiddle with her sound system, doing his best to compliment her despite his unfamiliarity with human compliments-

Arisa stops him by reaching out, taking the wine, and telling him to  _relax_ , setting the bottle down on her desk and shutting off the awful music while she’s at it.

“I-I just…” Garrus is looking down when she steps back in front of him, the most vulnerable she thinks she’s ever seen him, “I’ve seen so many things go wrong, Shepard. My work at C-SEC, what happened with Sidonis…”

Arisa steps in closer while he’s talking, watching his face, listening carefully. Everything he says mirrors things she’s felt - she’s never done enough, never done things  _right_  - and much as she wants to tell him  _you’ve done more than enough_  she keeps quiet, feeling that he needs to say it.

“…I want something to go  _right_. Just once. Just…”

She does cut him off, this time; lifting a hand to run it over the scars on his face, over the mandible, keeping her eyes on his the entire time.

“Me too.” she says, voice soft, dropping her hand after a moment, now so close she can feel the warmth of him.

They stare at each other for a moment before Garrus bends forwards, and Arisa mimics him, foreheads meeting in a gesture she’s seen between Turians. She nuzzles him, gently, hearing his breath catch, and she shivers when he lifts a hand to her shoulder, running it down over her arm.

“You’re my best friend, Garrus,” Arisa keeps her eyes shut, focuses on keeping her breathing even, “More than that, really. I trust you. And I want something good to keep me fighting when we go running into hell.”

She hears him chuckle, feels his mandible brush her cheek when he leans further down, nuzzling the side of her face now, “There’s no one I trust or respect more in the universe, Shepard.”

“Arisa.” she mumbles, keeping her eyes closed, “Call me my first name, Garrus.”

“She-  _Arisa_.” her name in his voice makes her shiver, a pleasant hum following his touch on her arm, “You, ah, sure you don’t want the wine?”

“No wine.” Arisa half-opens her eyes to give him a small smile - none of the usual bluster in it, no need to rally the troops or hide behind a smirk, just an honest grin - and reaches up to brush a hand beneath his fringe, “I want to  _remember_  this night, Garrus. No matter what happens.”

“Now touch me.”

Garrus hesitates only a moment before an arm is around her waist, pulling her firmly against his warmth - and Arisa swears not even the Collectors could drag her away from this moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments make my day! ♥


End file.
